


The Hunger

by ddagent



Category: Operation: Endgame (2010), Ravenous (1999)
Genre: Cannibalism, F/M, Murder, Remix, Romance, Sex, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 15:57:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddagent/pseuds/ddagent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a team building retreat in the woods, Hierophant and the rest of Alpha team come across a bloodied man speaking of horrors at a cabin not far from their own. But the stranger from the woods may not be all he appears to be and could lead Hiero to either her destruction, or her salvation. </p><p>Operation: Endgame remix of Ravenous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Operation: Endgame, Ravenous or any of their characters, or their settings - all belongs to their respective institutions.
> 
> I started working on this story in January of last year and I've only just got around to finishing it. It's been one of my favourite things to write and I really hope you enjoy it! Special thanks to 0ceanofdarkness and 3pirouette who have no doubt forgotten that they helped me edit some of this way back last year. 
> 
> This fic does contain some disturbing scenes, incredible amounts of profanity, blood and sex. If any of this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I would recommend you avoid it. For those of you who are Team Cannibal&Psychopath, enjoy!

Hierophant, assassin for the CIA, checked her make up before she headed out of her apartment. She wanted to look her best for her lunch date with Joshua, and that included flawless make up and a pale blue dress. When she was satisfied she looked the part she left her apartment and headed into downtown DC.

 

She had been dating Joshua for four months now. No one in the Factory had met him. It was only Empress that, in her role as Den Mother, knew anything about him. She called him a weasel, better for target practice than for a relationship. Hiero didn't think so. Hiero thought that this one could actually go the distance.

 

He was waiting for her at their favourite cafe, his nimble fingers nervously fiddling with his tie. Joshua was tall, with slick blond hair and a smooth face that made him look younger than his twenty six years. He smiled as he saw her and gave her a kiss on the cheek as she settled down in front of him.

 

"Sorry I'm a little late...I had to finish packing for this stupid work retreat they're sending us on," Hiero sighed theatrically, shaking her blonde curls. "Still, I'm here now. It's so good to see you, Joshua."

 

He smiled and Hiero felt her knees go weak. "It's good to see you too, Sarah."

 

Hearing her real name always shook her up. She’d spent so long as ‘Hierophant’ that any other name seemed like someone else. A character she’d seen once in a film. It always took a little while for her to switch from the deadly assassin to the innocent art student but she got there. Hierophant didn’t belong with Joshua. He was Sarah’s boyfriend.   

 

"So are you up to anything nice this weekend?" Hiero asked, taking a sip of her iced tea. Her teeth clinked against the glass. "I'm sorry I won't be around but my team leader is _insisting_ we go on some stupid company retreat to build up...some kinda crap."

 

Hiero watched his body draw back, as if preparing to run. She took greater notice of him then; saw he was smiling too much, his hands all over the place. She knew this posture. Suddenly she wished he was Hiero’s date.

 

"Sarah, sweetheart, I think we should stop seeing each other. It's not you sweetheart, it's me. I want to settle down, have a family." It was all white noise to her now. She just kept sipping her tea, not even meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry Sarah. I’m trying to make a name for myself in my company and I can't do that with you."

 

She could kill him. She had her scalpel in her handbag. But she knew there would be questions, they would link his murder to her. Hiero had killed several of her boyfriends and that was how she had wound up in the CIA. Sarah needed to be _better._ It was her own fault, anyway. She thought this one would last, that this one would be _the_ one. In her heart she had known it was only a fling. She was _always_ a fling.

 

"I should go Joshua."

 

Hiero stood up from the table and left. He didn't even try to stop her - they never did. As she went, she managed to sweet talk the girl behind the counter into charging a whole heap of cake on his tab. Just a little revenge. Compared to what she could have done, Joshua got off lightly.

 

\--

 

"This is bullshit," Temperance muttered as they gathered outside the Factory. "Why doesn't Omega have to do this shit?"

 

Hiero was tired of Temperance's belly aching and would quite happily slit her throat if it would make her stop talking. She supposed that reaction was why they were going on some stupid team building retreat in the first place. It had been the Magician's stupid idea. He wanted to make Omega look like fools, and apparently having five trained assassins with various psychotic tendencies in a tiny hotel in the middle of snow covered nowhere was the way to do that.

 

Thankfully their town car arrived before Hiero felt the need to slip out her scalpel. Temperance sat in one corner of the car, frowning out the window. Tower sat next to her, his nose thrust into a book. Magician slid in next. Of all of them, she’d worked most with him but thankfully not for very long. Their particular styles didn't mesh: he was a computer guy; she was a hands on type of gal. Still, it was better working with Temperance or Tower.

 

Empress got in the car last and sat in the seat opposite Hiero. Her blood red dress was pushed high over her knees. She smiled at her as the car pulled away from the Factory. "Joshua going to miss you this weekend?"

 

"No."

 

Ignoring any attempts from Empress to elicit further information, Hiero turned to the files she had brought with her. They had an op going down in a week or two and Hiero needed to memorise her new identity. But the names, dates and places wiggled in her head. Noticing that everyone else was busy, Hiero took the pencil she held and started sketching the cards the Magician was playing with.

 

She felt calm.

 

\--

 

The rustic cabin they were staying at was in the middle of Virginia nowhere. Temperance huffed and puffed and went straight up to her bedroom, Tower shortly following. The Magician immediately went to the departing staff to question about Wi-Fi out in the wilderness. Her boss wanted to grab a word but Hiero couldn't think of anything worse. So she took her duffel bag and headed to her room for the weekend.

 

The room was small, with a large window overlooking the forest. The bed dominated the room, but there was also a little desk in the corner. Maybe in between throwing knives and falling backwards into her co-worker's arms she could get a little sketching done.

 

Hiero didn't unpack. Seven years of running from town to town and leaving a trail of bodies behind had forced that habit upon her. Instead she locked the door and went into the shower, washing the city off of her. She preferred noise, preferred people. Being stuck out in the middle of the country was certainly not her idea of fun.

 

When she stepped out of the shower she towelled herself dry. Reaching deep into her bag, Hiero found a pair of tight jeans and a cherry red blouse to go on top. Now she was out of the Factory, Hiero dug inside the side pocket of her duffel and found the silver crucifix her grandmother had given her. She slipped the cold metal around her neck and tightened the clasp.

 

She didn't look half bad.

 

Locking her room behind her, Hiero went to explore the cabin. It was bigger than she had expected, but still pretty small for five assassins to safely get along in. Walking into the common area, she saw Empress waiting by the fire. There was a glass of scotch waiting there for her.

 

"So. Do I need to kill Joshua?"

 

Hiero giggled before sitting down in front of her. She took the glass and sipped, trying not to gag. Not her drink. " _No._ Too many questions. Maybe get Magician to fuck up his finances?"

 

Empress grinned. "I like that idea. So what was it this time? I have guys dumping Temperance because she won't put out with them and I've had guys dumping you because you put out too much. Was Joshua another one of those 'I want to settle down but not with you' guys?"

 

Hiero sighed and risked another sip. It burned its way down her throat. Surprisingly it wasn’t unpleasant. "Yeah. Why do I keep meeting those sorta guys, Empress? I'm a nice girl from a nice family. I'm pretty and I'm smart and I haven't killed any of my boyfriends since I joined the CIA."

 

"Well maybe that's the problem, sweetheart. You're not going to meet your perfect match until you meet your match," Empress said. "You're not going to be happy with a stock broker or an attorney. You need a killer. Plain and simple."

 

Hiero thought that over. She sometimes craved what she had on operations - sharing the kill with someone, sharing the blood. Hiero could only imagine how _incredible_ that would feel. To share Hierophant with someone for once and leave Sarah behind.

 

Before she realised it, Hiero had finished off her glass of whisky and Empress was pouring her another. The rest of Alpha team soon joined them and talk turned to which member of Omega they would kill (Chariot was at the top of the list). Halfway through Tower’s answer, Temperance screamed. Hiero followed her eye line and saw a man outside the window. He disappeared just as quickly into the night.

 

"Could it be Omega?" the Magician asked, fingering a king of clubs.

 

Hiero reached for her scalpel, smiling. This may be more of a team bonding weekend than she had realised. "Let's go find out."

 

\--

 

Alpha team gathered their weapons and headed out into the cold Virginia air. Snow had started to fall since their arrival and it crunched under their boots as they searched for their intruder. They didn't tolerate trespassers; they didn't tolerate anyone who would find out their true identities. The man would regret passing their cabin.  

 

Whilst Hiero was in the mood to kill _something,_ Empress was getting impatient. Hunting was not her forte and the search was getting slower. "Okay, let's split up. I'm going to search the cabin, Temperance and the Magician can search the woods and Tower and Hierophant can continue searching the grounds. I want that man neutralised. No one goes to fucking bed till we find him."

 

Hiero giggled as she abandoned the group and went off in search of the man Temperance had seen. The falling snow made it hard for her to follow tracks; they had all but disappeared. But as she heard the voices of her team fall away to the night air, her eyes caught something. On the pure white snow there was a single drop of blood. Then another. And another.

 

She followed the blood trail like breadcrumbs, following it to the edge of the forest. It was only her and her prey out in the snow now. In the silence she caught a whimper and Hiero ducked her head into an alcove of trees. Here was their midnight visitor. His hair was long and scraggly, matted with blood. His clothes were the remnants of a three piece suit. He didn’t belong out in the wilderness. His luck just got worse.

 

Hiero's shuffling in the snow got his attention. He looked at her like a rabbit crouching in front of a wolf. With a trembling hand he reached out to her. "Please...help me."

 

Hiero watched him stumble; watched him reach out before he collapsed against the snow. His eyes gazed up at her and she was overcome by the warmth in them. They were a beautiful brown and she felt such _loss_ when they closed. She pressed her fingers to his neck trying to summon a pulse and thankfully she found one.

 

Her fingers came away stained with blood and without a second thought she stuck them in her mouth. Something sparked in the taste...it wasn't coppery like most blood. It was warm and rich and she wanted to taste that again. Leaning down, Hiero pressed her tongue flat against his neck and licked.

 

She'd never tasted anything like it.

 

Pulling away reluctantly, Hiero called out to the rest of her team. She could hear footfalls but they no longer interested her. She kept moving her tongue around her mouth, trying to lap up every drop of his blood between her lips.

 

It was Empress that reached her first. She took one look at the bloodied, unconscious man by Hiero's side and snorted. "Just leave him out here to die, Hiero. There’s a bottle of scotch inside waiting for us."

 

Hiero wasn't sure if it was his eyes or his blood or her good Christian nature that made her want to help him. Either way she wasn't letting him freeze out in the cold. The staff that took care of the cabin had gone home for the weekend and assassins (one of whom was wanted in three states) did not call the emergency services. All this man had was _them._

When the Magician and Tower finally reached them, Hiero gestured at the stranger. "Grab an arm; we're taking him back to get warm."

 

"Like fuck we are," Empress cursed. "Leave him."

 

Hiero stood up and held her ground. "I'm not letting him die out here. It’s the good Christian thing to do and besides what harm would it do?"

 

"Would be good karma," Temperance muttered before reaching over to help the Magician and Tower bring him inside the cabin. Empress just threw her hands up and followed them in.

 

In the den, Hiero and Temperance worked on stripping the man of his bloody clothes. They had no way of knowing how long he had been out there, so warming him up was their first priority. Tower brought some warm water to clean the blood off his skin and Hiero went to work. Her hands ran over his marred skin, tracing scars and a bleeding wound to the side. Who had done this to him?

 

"You can't keep him," Empress whispered in her ear as she passed. "I'm going to bed."

 

Hiero and Temperance continued to warm up their new guest until they saw him stir. Before the men could disappear, she asked them to bring the stranger up to her bedroom. She could watch over him in safety then, not worried that any one of her team would bring him harm. Once he was safely under the sheets, her three colleagues went to bed leaving her alone with their mysterious guest.

 

She stripped her dirty clothes and knelt beside the stranger on the bed. Now the blood was scrubbed off of him she could see more of his face. He looked to be in his mid to late forties - businessman probably. No wedding ring. No wallet. His hair was long, his beard unkempt. He looked like he had been in those woods forever.

 

"I'll take good care of you. I promise."

 

Hiero watched over him for a while but eventually placed her head on the pillow. One hand gripped her crucifix while she drifted off to sleep.

 

\--

 

When she awoke the next morning, the stranger still lay beside her. Hiero looked him over, trying to ascertain whether she needed to drive him to a hospital. When she tried to check his pulse again he stirred and began to scream. Hiero placed her hands out in front of her, trying to reassure him. "You're safe, you're safe here!"

 

The stranger stopped screaming immediately. His chest was heaving, the sheets pooling rather low on his body. She avoided looking, just glad that he was now calm. "I'm safe?"

 

"You are. You're safe here."

 

"Oh thank God!" The stranger reached over and wrapped his arms around her. Hiero hugged him back, trying to offer comfort where she could. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and breathed him in. She could still smell blood and something else, something animal on his skin. It made her shiver.

 

Eventually the stranger pulled away and, upon realising he was half naked in front of a pretty girl, slid under the covers once more. Hiero in turn slid off the bed and to the desk where she picked up a stack of clothes she had borrowed from the airing cupboard. She hoped they would be okay. With tentative hands Hiero passed him the bundle.

 

"For you, when you feel up to getting dressed." She brushed a blonde curl behind her ear. "I'm glad you're awake! When you feel up to it, come into the main room and I can fix you up with some food. Get you strong and healthy again."

 

The stranger nodded, turning to the clothes to put them on. Just as he was about to leave he thrust out a hand and grabbed hers. He pulled her towards him, smiling all the while. "I don't know your name."

 

"Oh," she blushed. "It's Hierophant. Like the Tarot card? Everyone just calls me Hiero."

 

He smiled at her and released her hand. "Well thank you Hiero. _Thank you._ "

 

With a bob of her head she left him to get dressed and went to face the music in the den.

 

\--

 

Hiero crept slowly into the den. Empress was sitting in the chair by the fire, a glass of scotch once more by her elbow. She could hear Temperance and the Magician in the kitchen making breakfast. Tower was in the corner reading once more. Hiero padded over to the chair in front of Empress and sat down. She awaited her lecture.

 

"I meant what I said last night, Hierophant. You can't keep him. He's a human, not a puppy," Empress explained, dragging her nails down the arms of her chair. "Do you know what happened to him, anyway?"

 

Hiero shook her head. "Not yet. But he's awake."

 

The older blonde took a sip of her drink. "Good. The sooner we know what's going on, the sooner we can get on with our weekend. We've got falling into people and saving people at the lake to do."

 

"Lake's frozen. Can't go in."

 

Hiero and Empress turned towards Tower at the back of the room. His eyes never left his book. "Well thank you for sharing but I think we'll have a go anyway." Empress' eyes turned back to Hiero and then over her shoulder. A smile quirked at the corner of her mouth. "Puppy cleans up good."

 

Hiero looked over to see that the stranger had joined them. The blue shirt draped over his gaunt frame, but thankfully the trousers held up well. His hair was messy and his beard was untidy but the blood was gone. Hiero gave him an encouraging smile as he came further into the room.

 

"Can I get you some breakfast?" Hiero asked.

 

Empress interrupted before he could answer. "Actually, I think it would be better if we got some answers. It's not often we come across bloodied men in the middle of nowhere. Let's start with a name."

 

The stranger nodded before sitting in the armchair closest to Hiero. He addressed her when he spoke. "Colqhoun. William Colqhoun. I am...I used to work at a small investment firm in Richmond. I don't think I do anymore."

 

"Why not?"

 

Colqhoun curled in on himself. "Because my boss is dead."

 

Hiero watched the man sob into his hands, overwhelmed with the need to comfort him. Her colleagues, however, were not. Empress was readying herself for an attack, the Magician was fingering something in his bag of tricks and Temperance had her hand on the small of her back ready for her gun. Before they ripped apart the _possible_ murderer in their midst, Hiero reached over and pressed her hand to his. "Tell us what happened. You're safe here, I swear it."

 

Colqhoun nodded, his fingers gripping hers for a brief second before he was lost to his own thoughts. "My boss wanted us all to go on a company retreat. A weekend away in the wilderness to build up trust, to make us stronger as a team. He'd hired a particularly loathsome man to lead us for the weekend. His name was Ives. We got to the cabin fine, but then it began to snow. We got stuck. Phone lines went, electricity went. It was like we were back in the eighteen hundreds."

 

Hiero urged him on with a squeeze of his hand. She had seen enough horror movies to know this story wasn't going to have a happy ending. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Temperance slinked behind the Magician. That girl was more pussy than predator. "It's okay. _It's okay._ "

 

"No it's not," he sobbed. "It's not at all. Chris and I went for a walk to see if we could find the road.  We couldn't so we made our way back. When we got there we found Ives...oh god he was cutting up my boss on the kitchen table."

 

"Go on, William."

 

"Ives was cutting up and he was eating...oh god he was like a wild animal. He saw us and he began to chase us. We found Paul strung up in the shed, his guts hanging out. Chris and I thought we were clear but then he tackled us. He caught me in the side and then started hacking Chris to bits. I managed to get away and I ran. I ran and I ran and all I remember is the snow and the blood. And then Hiero."

 

Colqhoun sat there sobbing. Hiero didn't know how to comfort him, didn't know how to make those images go away for him. Such things intrigued her, interested her. For this little puppy it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

 

"There's some eggs and bacon in the kitchen if you'd like to eat something," the Magician said, breaking the silence. "I just need to talk to Hierophant for a moment and then she'll be right in with you."

 

Hiero watched as Colqhoun made his way into the adjacent kitchen. He offered her a smile as he closed the door behind him. Then all hell broke loose. The Magician was running his hands through his hair, Temperance looked deathly pale. Even Tower had stopped reading his book. It was only she and Empress that looked calm.

 

"So what are we going to do?" the Magician asked.

 

Empress just reached for her drink. "Not a damn thing. I say we let the little banker loose in the woods and wait for Leatherface to get him first."

 

"That was in Texas, Empress," Temperance muttered as she started to pace. "What if this Ives guy comes after us, huh?"

 

The blonde snorted and turned to Hiero. "Hierophant, how many people have you killed this month?"

 

She thought about it briefly. "I think thirteen? It's been a slow month."

 

Empress chuckled, throwing a look in Temperance’s direction. "See? That guy could come in here with a chainsaw and we would be able to take him out. I say we let Colqhoun rot in the wild. If they got snowed in and no one's come then no one will be looking for them. Let's not bother with it."

 

Hiero thought of the man in the kitchen, and she thought about the man lurking in the woods outside. It had been so long since she had had anything but a normal hit. She missed the chase, missed the blood. Maybe if they got caught in a fight Colqhoun could bleed again and she could lap him up...God Almighty she wanted a challenge. She wanted to go after this man.

 

"So what do we do now? Trash talk Omega, discuss our faults and then practice trust exercises? I would rather hunt down a lunatic in the middle of the woods then go through that bullshit."

 

Empress gripped the arms of her chair. "This weekend was supposed to make us stronger as a team so those fucktards Omega wouldn't have a bucket to fucking piss in when it came to ops. It was not supposed to involve us playing Scooby fucking Doo."

 

"Well can’t we use this as an exercise? When was the last time we worked an op all five of us? I mean what's the harm if this guy is going to do nothing to us anyway?"

 

The Magician seemed in full agreement. Tower had gone back to his book but kept glancing in their direction. Temperance even looked a little convinced. Empress finally nodded. "Fine, we'll do it. We’ll get this guy, hunt him down and then we can do some trust exercises on that frozen lake. Sound good to everybody?"

 

Hiero grinned. "Absolutely."

 

The team went to get their weapons and warm clothing and Hiero went to tell Colqhoun that they would be getting the man that broke him so badly. Just as she stood up and walked to the kitchen, Empress grabbed her wrist and squeezed the bone.

 

"Remember what I said last night. You can't keep your puppy, Hiero. You're a killer." Empress showed her teeth. "And that's how you like yourself. It’s fine for you to date little pricks like Joshua who think you're Sarah the art student. But the Factory will let you _rot_ if he finds out who you are. So don't get too attached."

 

Empress released her wrist and let her continue to the kitchen. Colqhoun was happily devouring breakfast, a rare smile on his face. He was cute, like a little pet. But she needed a wolf to play with. She'd keep his nightmares at bay; make sure he never had to check the shadows any more. Then she would return to them.

 

\--

 

The six of them started their walk to the cabin where Colqhoun had been staying. Empress stormed ahead, a gun hidden under her coat. The Magician followed, his fingers fidgeting with a deck of cards. Even though he had been completely for them chasing after this killer, she could smell his fear. Temperance was reeking - the poor girl was used to poisons and the occasional head shot during coitus. She wasn't one for blood.

 

Tower was still reading his book.

 

She and Colqhoun brought up the rear. They had found an overcoat for him to wear and a pair of boots that were a size too small. He was shaking, but Hiero couldn't smell fear on him like she could the others. Maybe she made him feel safe.

 

"So what do you do?" Colqhoun asked, smiling at her as they walked through the snow.

 

Empress shot a glare over her shoulder and Hiero formed the lie automatically. "We're a design team for a small publisher. We just got a huge account so we thought it would be nice to bond and relax before we got down to lots of work."

 

He seemed to accept her lie and Hiero wondered for a moment what it would be like to actually sketch for a living. She would miss killing, would miss being someone else for someone who didn't give a fuck. While it would be nice to settle down, Hiero loved killing too much.  

 

"Damn these boots," Colqhoun muttered, reaching down to rub his toes through the leather.

 

The rest of the team stopped but Hiero waved them on. "Keep going, we'll catch up!"

 

Empress rolled her eyes but the four of them continued on. The sooner they dealt with Ives the sooner they could go home and warm up. Hiero helped rub Colqhoun's feet, trying to bring some warmth back into them. He smiled at her efforts. "Hierophant...do you have a boyfriend?"

 

She let out a giggle and she was sure her cheeks were as red as her shirt. Oh he was sweet!. Maybe it would be good to have a relationship with someone who would treat her right. Just for a little while. She was tired of being treated like trash. "No. My boyfriend just broke up with me actually. He wanted something else."

 

Colqhoun took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "If I may say so, your ex boyfriend sounds like a mighty fool."

 

Hiero giggled. "Well I think I have to agree with you there." He was still holding her hand. "Come on, let's go deal with Ives."

 

But Colqhoun wouldn't move. Instead he tugged her back towards him, his hands moving low to rest on her waist. "I can't believe I'm letting someone as precious as you get dragged into the bowels of hell."

 

"Believe me darlin', I'm a regular there." Hiero felt the warmth of his hands seep through the fabric of her jacket and she resisted the urge to pull him closer. In her heart she knew there would be no future with this little puppy - instead she would be the one breaking his heart if he got too close. Something so fragile could not survive her blood soaked nature. "Let's catch up with the others."

 

They ran through the snow to meet the rest of her team and came face to face with the cabin. Colqhoun started sobbing in her ear, moving a few paces back from the group, desperately trying to get away from the place that no doubt haunted his every thought. Hiero looked the place over - it was the same as theirs except there was a second floor overlooking the frozen lake. And there was a blood trail leading up to the front door.

 

"Magician, Hierophant, go look around, see if he's inside."

 

Hiero made a move forward but Colqhoun reached for her again. "I would prefer, ma'am, if Hierophant waits with me. _Please."_

Empress shook her head. "Believe me, you want Hiero in there."

 

The Magician was good at crashing economies and stealing trade secrets, Temperance was good at seducing men and women until they cracked, Tower was good for...well Hiero still wasn't sure what Tower was good for. And Empress was good for what she could do with her tongue and what she could do with random objects. But if you needed to go up against a psychopath, it was best to fight fire with fire.

 

"I'll be down soon. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

 

After a quick squeeze of his hand, Hiero headed into the cabin with the Magician. Inside, the place was trashed. There were clothes strewn everywhere, frames and ornaments laying smashed on the ground. There was blood leading from the front door into the den and Hiero followed it. It led to the kitchen. "Let's see if Ives is in there."

 

The Magician, ever the gentleman, let her go first. As she walked the few paces to the kitchen, Hiero felt for her scalpel. It had been present since her first kill and it was amazing what you could do with such a tiny blade. The precision. The pain. Taking a deep breath, Hiero forced open the kitchen door.

 

She heard her cohort cough and gag behind her, the Magician not used to large amounts of blood. Hiero kicked an arm as she looked over the kitchen, trying to find any sign of when Ives was last there. The blood splatter on the refrigerator wasn't fresh. There was a slab of meat waiting to be cooked with potatoes in the oven. The meat smelled off - Ives had been disturbed.

 

"He was here in the last day or so..." Hiero whispered, taking a brief glance upstairs. "Let's check up there. I doubt he's in the house though. He's probably dead in the woods."

 

The Magician jumped over a dismembered leg by the kitchen table. "So much for our cannibal hunt."

 

Hiero ascended the back staircase. There was blood there too, and a couple of teeth. She wasn't used to such a _sloppy_ scene. Hiero would never leave things like this. The upstairs was just as bad. There was a corpse in one bedroom - his face was smashed in. Hiero checked his closet, but no monster lurking within. She checked the next two bedrooms and didn't find anything of interest. Their wallets had been stripped clean, though.

 

"Hiero, come in here!"

 

She left the small bedroom and headed to the bedroom with the corpse. Magician sat in front of a computer going through the files. "It looks like one of the guys updated some photographs from their first day or something. He labelled them too."

 

The Magician clicked his way through a stream of photographs. None of them were particularly interesting - shots of the men outside their business, shots of them at a bar for lunch. The same faces and names kept popping up now and again: Chris, Paul, Daniel and Tony. "There's none of Colqhoun here."

 

"Maybe he's the one taking the pictures? I don’t fucking know."

 

They continued to click through the pictures until they finally found one of Colqhoun. He looked different. He wasn't wearing the bloodied suit and tie they had found him in. His shirt was blood red, with a night black waistcoat and gold buttons. He looked confident, strong. So different to the man that was waiting in the snow. Hiero peered at the name of the picture and felt her stomach drop.

 

_Ives._

"Colqhoun is Ives, Magician. Colqhoun is _Ives!"_

Hiero raced to the window to shout for Empress to come up or that they were coming down or _something_ so they would know. But she was too slow. She looked out just in time to see the man she had known as Colqhoun slash through Empress' neck.

 

\--

 

Hiero burst through the front door just in time to see Tower fall to the snow, a bullet hole clean through his head. Temperance was running into the forest, the man they now knew as Ives in hot pursuit. Empress was gurgling blood from her mouth, unable to say whatever she needed to. Hiero rushed to her side, putting her bare hands against her neck to stop the bleeding. But he had cut through too much flesh. It was only a matter of time.

 

"Hierophant we need to go," the Magician was tugging at her arm. "We can play the blame game later, come on."

 

She released her hands just as Empress' eyes went blank. She had been a bitch, but she had been the closest thing to a parent that Hiero had ever had. It didn't say much, but it was true nevertheless. This wasn't her fault. They were highly trained assassins, responsible for taking out some of the most high profile targets in the world. None of them should have been taken out by _him._

 

"Hierophant..."

 

Hiero smacked her blonde head back into the Magician's face, causing his nose to break. He stumbled to the snow, hand reaching for his gun. Hiero put a foot on his chest and kicked him back down. "We get Temperance, we kill Ives and we go back to DC. You want to talk about blame? I just broke your nose because you _let me._ Let's not let him take anything else."

 

The Magician nodded as he pulled himself to the floor. He chambered a round as they headed into the woods after Temperance. Hiero closed her eyes to see what she could make out. Running - she could hear running. Screaming. _Temperance_.

 

"This way."

 

Hiero broke out into a run, her scalpel pressed tight in her hand. He had manipulated her. He had taken advantage of her one weakness and prodded and poked at it. Even if he hadn't brutally murdered her mentor she would have tortured him for that. She would make him scared, would make him beg for his life. She would make him wish he had never come across their little cabin.

 

They heard another scream and they headed past tree after tree until they circled a fallen trunk. Lying behind it was Temperance, her back practically gouged out. Her pretty face was smeared with blood, her eyes wide and most definitely dead. Hiero took a solemn moment to pray for her, and for Empress and for Tower. They didn't believe in God Almighty but they deserved some respect.

 

"I say we go back to the cabin, get in the car and go back to DC," the Magician hissed. "Call the Company, they can find this son of a bitch and kill him. Or let him roam free I don't give a _fuck,_ Hierophant. I just want to make it home."

 

Hiero looked at the shivering Magician. "Stop being such a little _pussy_. We're not going to make the same mistakes; we're not going to let our guard down. We're going to find that bastard, cut off his head and bring it back to the Factory to use as a pot plant. So grab your balls and let's go kill him."

 

Hiero hadn't played a decent cat and mouse game in years. Her first choice of partner certainly wouldn't have been the Magician. Maybe Judgement, or, at a push, Chariot. When he wasn't drunk he was pretty handy with a gun. But despite her partner, she knew that Ives would be dead by sundown. He had met his match.

 

They searched through the woods: the Magician with his gun raised high and Hiero low in the snow with her scalpel. Eventually they made their way back to the bloodied cabin where Empress and Tower were. Their silent approach paid off as they caught Ives coming around the back of the cabin, cleaning up with a tank of gasoline.

 

"IVES!" the Magician shouted before firing three rounds at him. One hit his shoulder; the other two his chest and he dropped to the snow. "Not such a tough guy now, eh?"

 

The Magician approached Ives’s corpse. Hiero followed closely, wanting to see that he was truly dead. It seemed...disappointing that a man that had butchered that household and slaughtered her team could be taken down with just a few bullets. Maybe she was just disappointed that she hadn't done it herself. She had wanted to rip his spine out, stick her scalpel into the side of his neck. Instead it was the _Magician_ who would be taking home the trophy.

 

He leaned in close to Ives, checking that his bullets had hit their mark. "Not a monster. Just a man. No match for Alpha Team. _No match for the Magician._ "

 

The moment she saw a smile on Ives’s face, Hiero stepped back. But it was too late for her colleague.  Ives’s knife slashed through the Magician's neck, dropping him to his knees and covering Hiero in his blood. They both watched the Magician's body collapse against the snow. Then Ives turned to her, beaming as he advanced. He took a step forward, she took a step back. He took a step forward, she took a step back. He chuckled at their little dance.

 

The Magician had been cocky. Empress and Tower had been caught unawares. Temperance had run. She would not underestimate this monster. She would play him, like he had played her. She would wait for him to think her weak and then she would attack. Hiero didn't fight him as he tackled her to the snow, his hands pinning her wrists to the ground. She waited for his killing blow, her knee primed to throw him off.

 

But instead his head moved next to hers and she felt his tongue lick at her neck, cleaning her of the Magician's blood.

 

When she was clean, Ives slid off her body and offered her his hand. Confused, she took it. His hands went around her waist like before, the heat from his body the only warmth she felt through her sodden clothing. He took one of his hands and ran a lone finger down her cheek. "You're not scared of me at all, are you?"

 

"Why would I be scared?"

 

Ives chuckled and let go of her waist, his hands out wide. "Look around you! Look at the blood bath, the dead stacked high. The dead _eaten_. It doesn't faze you at all, does it?"

 

Hiero shrugged. "Not really. I caused more trouble when I was eighteen."

 

He laughed once more, his hands coming across his body. "You know I expected you all to be better. To put up more of a fight. I knew I had to kill the blonde first. But the others...I expected more from what I assumed to be professional killers." Ives wrapped his arms around her, his embrace almost loving. “But you Hiero...you were more than I expected. A lot more.”

 

He was intrigued by her. She was equally intrigued by him. It was such a pity that she would still have to kill him. She couldn't let him best her, couldn't always be waiting for him to come for her. Sadly this was how it had to go down.

 

While she didn't favour guns, Hiero had a thing for blades. She had her scalpel, some wire in her back pocket. Then there was the small whittling knife she kept on her hip. While his hands were curved against her face, Hiero reached for her knife and stabbed it into his hand. Ives jerked back in shock.

 

"Well I wasn't expecting that," he muttered, sliding her knife from his hand and palming it in the other. "Are we really going to play this game, Hierophant? Are you really going to try and kill me?"

 

She grinned. "It's my speciality."

 

He ran for her, her whittling knife in his hand. She ducked and rolled before shooting her foot at his knee. He buckled for a moment before he twisted and threw the knife into the soft flesh of her shoulder. It burned, but Hiero was used to pain. She slammed her head into his face, knocking him and the knife back. He advanced on her again, running at her at full speed. She twisted just in time to roll on top of him and slip her wire around his neck.

 

"It's such a shame," Hiero whispered. "You're really quite my type. But I think killing you would be easier for my peace of mind." She continued to squeeze, watching the wire cut into his throat.

 

His fist collided with the side of her head, thrusting her sideways into the snow. She felt her grip on the wire slip as he broke two of her ribs with a well placed knee jab. Hiero felt his body envelop hers. "Why do you have to be like this?" he whispered in her ear. "Why do you have to fight me, Hiero? We're the same; we don't have to be enemies."

 

"You manipulated me and killed my entire team," Hiero hissed, sliding her leg between his to roll him over onto the snow. "Plus I don't play well with others."

 

"Maybe you were just looking for the right playmate?”

 

He went for her again, cracking his elbow against her knee. Hiero smacked her fist into his pretty eyes, giving herself some time to move. Jerking her body over the snow she saw the lake. She limped over to the bank and slipped down onto the ice. She could hear him coming after her.

 

"I wanted to spare you, Hiero. I wanted us to be...But obviously that isn't going to work. Let's go five for five shall we."

 

A gunshot rang out and Hiero turned to see the ice splintering. Ives stood at the water line, smirking. He raised Empress' gun at her head and pressed the trigger. Nothing happened. "I hate it when that happens. Probably best I do this _intimately,_ anyway."

 

Ives descended onto the ice, her whittling knife in his hand. She tried to slide away from him, her body screaming out in pain with every movement. He followed her belly up on the ice, his body crawling over hers. His hands were placed either side of her head, her knife just above her ear. "It's a shame it has to end like this, Hiero. I imagined this could be...the fantasies of an old man. You'll have to forgive me for that, darling."

 

She wasn't going to die here. She was going to live. She was a fighter, she was a killer and she would come out of this fight the victor. She still had her scalpel in her hand. "I forgive you."

 

Hiero whispered a prayer before she reached up and pressed her lips to his. He tasted like blood and heat and Hiero swiped her tongue against his mouth to force him to open to her.  She felt him shudder as she kissed him, felt the moment when he let his guard down and started kissing her back. He bit her bottom lip and she moaned. It was then that she stuck her scalpel in his neck.

 

Blood spurted over the ice, Ives hands desperately grabbing at the scalpel to make it stop. With a well placed kick, the ice shattered underneath his body and she watched him slip beneath it. His fingers gripped the edge, but they were too slippery with blood. She watched him sink into the black depths of the water until she could no longer see him.

 

Gathering herself, Hiero crawled up the bank and up onto the snow. She dragged her broken knee along the ground until she reached the corpses of her fallen teammates. She dug around in Empress' jacket for her phone, the only connection to the outside world. She just managed to enter the proper codes before the signal died.

 

Hiero lay down in the snow and looked to the sky. She could feel every broken bone, every drop of blood covering her body. She could still taste Ives in her mouth.

 

With a single icy tear, Hiero let the snow take her. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Operation: Endgame, Ravenous or any of their characters, or their settings - all belongs to their respective institutions.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read part one, I'm absolutely thrilled with the response! Hope you like Part Two just as much!

Hiero checked herself in the mirror. Her blonde curls were a little limp, her mascara thick. The bruising on her face was now a faint yellow colour rather than the rich purple it had been not that long ago. The rest of her wounds were healing nicely - there would be a small scar on her shoulder from her knife but the ribs and her knee had all healed. She checked herself in the mirror once more, ignoring the ghost of Ives darting out of the corner of her eye, and went to work.

 

Today was her first day back at the Factory since the retreat. She had spent a week in some godforsaken government hospital jumping at every noise, and then spent the last three weeks at home. Emperor had visited her in hospital and explained the aftermath of her rescue. They had found the bodies; they had found the murdered men. But they had not found Ives.

 

She saw him everywhere: in the mirror, in cafes, even standing across the street. Sometimes she wondered if this was all just a dream and she was still on the snow. She had taken to biting the inside of her arms just to check she was still alive. But the world was still turning, even after Empress, Temperance, Tower and the Magician were all dead. She would still go to work and still kill people and come home and get into another bad relationship and end the day looking at a sketch book she hardly used.

 

Shouldn't there be something more?"

 

"Hierophant."

 

A deep voice disturbed her thoughts and Hiero looked up to see Judgement. He had his hat in his hands, a sombre expression on his face. He entered the elevator she had somehow found and immediately enveloped her in a hug. She hadn't seen him since the day they had all left for the retreat. He had sent her flowers in hospital though. Lilies.

 

"I'm sorry Hierophant, I really am."

 

Hiero pulled away and wrapped her arms around herself. "Thank you Judgement." The elevator doors closed shut and Hiero reached for the call box. She slid the phone against her ear, the first time she had done so in too long. "And God created Alpha and Omega. What's fucking left of 'em."

 

"I wanted to see you before you came down. Warn you. They hired replacements."

 

The news made her feel sick, even though Hiero had known it would happen. They had a dirty business to run - of course they would hire replacements. "What are they like? The brand spanking new Alpha team?"

 

Judgement chuckled, reaching inside his jacket for a cigar. "This blonde barely out of diapers called the Sun got hit on by Chariot already. Give her two months before she breaks. Then there's some Robin Hood wannabe that we decided should be called Wheel of Fortune."

 

Hiero giggled. "Lord what the hell am I going to be working with?"

 

"Assholes. Always assholes.”

 

She grinned at him as they left the elevator and started unloading their weapons. Her whittling knife and scalpel were gone. She had a few larger knives but that was really it. Her little locker box looked so lonely. Looking to the door of the office, dread overwhelmed her. "Do they think I did it? The Devil, Emperor, the others. Do they think I murdered my team?"

 

Judgement paused but shook his head all the same. "Hierophant, think about the business we're in. If you didn't do it, the Devil is pissed that someone bested his agents. If you did do it, then they were weak and he has the cream of the _southern_ crop." He gave her one of those up and down grins. "Come on. Let's go back to work."

 

Hiero followed Judgement into the bullpen, pleased that everything seemed the same. Chariot was guzzling alcohol, Priestess didn't meet her gaze. Strength was nowhere to be seen. Emperor even gave her a cheery wave.

 

As she made it through to the other side of cubicles, she could see her team's replacements. Sitting in Tower's old chair was the Sun. She immediately shunted her eyes away when Hiero passed. Her own cubicle was rotting with cobwebs. Temperance's former place was being habited by Wheel of Fortune, a particularly greasy little man who gave Hiero's legs a _long_ glance. The Hanged Man was in the Magician's former chair - he looked like a former soldier. Tough, but he still shied away from her. They were no doubt terrified of her because of what happened out in that snow.

 

Good.

 

"Is the Devil in yet?" Hierophant asked Emperor as he came away from his cubicle.

 

The older man nodded. "Yeah he is. He wanted you to meet your new team leader. _Death._ Nice guy."

 

Hiero started walking in the direction of the Devil's office. She could feel every eye on her as she left the bullpen. Work was going to be unbearable for a while, at least until the next tragedy struck. But she would just have to suffer through it. She couldn't go back to doing her work recreationally, not after the trouble she got into the last time.

 

She knocked on the Devil's door and waited to be invited in. The old bastard behind the desk's hands started to shake as she entered. He was afraid of her too. "Good morning Hierophant, welcome back to work. How are you feeling?"

 

She shrugged. "I'm doing okay. It's going to be hard for a while, what with everyone thinking I murdered my own team and all, but I’ll get through it."

 

The Devil paused for a moment before vehemently denying her allegations. "No one thinks that. Especially not the new head of Alpha team, who is looking forward to meeting you."

 

Really? No one ever looked forward to meeting her. "Death? What's he like?"

 

Her boss reached for a file across from him. "Former military man. A few years younger than Empress. Has some impressive kills to his name - freelance stuff mostly. Was in our system as a possible but he only recently became available. You'll like him. He likes killing just as much as you do."

 

Empress had found the identity work enjoyable, but had seen the killing as a means to an end, nothing more. It would be nice to work with someone who had the same interests as her. There was a knock on the door – no doubt Death – and Hiero turned to greet him. But when the door opened her body stilled, her brain shut down.

 

Shiny black shoes, neatly pressed slacks. A burgundy shirt with a black vest and gold buttons. A long, almost knee length coat. Nape length hair, trimmed moustache and beard. Warm brown eyes. Soft lips that she knew from experience.

 

"Hierophant, this is Alpha's new team leader. Death."

 

Hiero's knees buckled from underneath her, but thankfully her new team leader was there to catch her. He hoisted her high in his arms, her face buried in the crook of his neck. It wasn't just his appearance that was the same, he smelled the same too. Like blood and sex rolled into one.

 

The snow may not have claimed her, but Ives was back to finish the job.

 

\--

 

For a moment Hiero wondered whether she would wake up to see her old team standing around her bedside like a twisted parody of _The Wizard of Oz._ But when Hiero awoke there was no one. No one apart from _him._

"You'll have to forgive me - I'm not used to pretty girls swooning in my arms," Ives said, chuckling as he dabbed a flannel against her forehead. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hierophant. I'm Death."

 

Death he certainly was. Hiero pushed herself away from him like a scared child slinking away from the bogeyman. She tucked her knees under her chin, trying to make herself as small as possible. She despised showing weakness, but this...man should be at the bottom of a very frozen lake. He should _not_ be staring at her, his hands inches away from hers.

 

"Hey Hierophant," Judgement greeted as he thrust his body through the half closed door. "You okay?"

 

Hiero immediately leapt from the small cot and went to Judgement's side. She saw the flash of distress in Ives’s eyes but she didn't look back as she pushed Judgement through the doors and out into the corridor. She didn't stop dragging him until there were at least four other assassins between them and the zombie they had left in the break room.

 

Judgement had a cocky grin on his face, as if trying to think of some innuendo to spit. But the grin fell as soon as he realised she was shaking. Hiero wasn't afraid of anything. She wasn't even afraid of death. But it seemed it had crawled out of that lake looking to drag her back to the snow.

 

"Judgement..." Hiero paused, her heart pounding. "Judgement, that's him. That's _Ives."_

He glanced down the corridor they had just walked along. "You sure, Hierophant?"

 

"Without a doubt."

 

His jaw locked. "Let's tell the Devil."

 

Hiero followed along as Judgement barged into the Devil's office. Explaining to their boss was like being in a dream. She thought the words but did not say them. She saw Judgement's hand on her shoulder but did not feel him. She watched as the Emperor appeared but did not hear him either. Her world was a muted vision. But when Ives appeared, everything became colour and sound again.

 

"Is there a problem?" Ives asked the assembled crowd, his eyes fixed on hers. "Hierophant, are you alright? You left the break room quite quickly."

 

Judgement blocked his view of her. "You don't talk to her."

 

"Is that so?" Ives asked, matching stance with Judgement. His lips were pinned into a smile Hiero knew all too well. "I do believe that I am her team leader and have every right to speak with her."

 

Before Judgement could throw out a response or indeed a punch, Emperor stepped between the two men. His face was troubled, and Hiero could only speculate why. She had seen him in the hospital, seen his grief. He might have loved Empress once, a very long time ago. If Ives was indeed the man who took her life - even if the Factory had no qualms about it - Ives would not leave this office alive.

 

"As you well know, Death, Hierophant has been through something traumatic. Now while I'm sure everyone including Hiero would agree that she's just on the employable side of crazy-" God she wished she hadn’t lost her scalpel. "- she does believe that you are the sick fuck that murdered four of our colleagues."

 

Ives began to laugh. He walked deeper into their circle and locked eyes with her. They were still so warm, so inviting. Completely disarming. "Well I can assure you all that it is just a case of mistaken identity. Nothing more."

 

"Liar," Hiero hissed. He had the same scent, the same eyes. If she dared kiss him she would find his lips were the same too.

 

"Forgive me, Hierophant. I would like for us to work together. Is there any way I can prove that I am not this monster?"

 

The Devil finally decided to weigh in. "Well I think in Hierophant's report she said that she stabbed you - I mean this man Ives - in the neck and the hand. I'm not a Doctor but I would assume that such wounds would leave scars."

 

Ives chuckled once more. "Are you suggesting I remove my shirt?" The Devil nodded. "Fine. If it will put Hierophant's mind at ease than I shall."

 

They all watched as Ives shrugged his jacket to the floor. He then worked on undoing the buttons of his waistcoat. He held her gaze with every button he undid. When that too dropped to the floor Hiero raked her eyes over his flesh. No scars, no marks. Not even the ones she had seen the night she had found him! His skin was smooth, his muscle taut. Hiero felt herself fluster.

 

But that didn't stop her from knowing the truth. This was the man she had dropped into that lake.

 

"Thank you Death, I think your strip show has answered all our questions. You can return to work now. And Hierophant?" Her head turned at the sound of the Devil's address. "Aim the crazy towards work. You're all dismissed." 

 

Ives smiled at her as they all filed out of the Devil’s office. It was him. She was _sure_ it was him. If he was here then there could only be one possible reason: he wanted to get revenge for being dumped in the lake. That was the only possible answer. Not for any other reason, not for anything so...romantic. Revenge was the only option.

 

As Hiero went back to her cubicle, she thought about the predicament she now faced. He was a dangerous man, seemingly with the power to come back from the dead. He needed to be killed and quickly, whilst he didn’t suspect she’d make a play. She would survive his arrival, his game. She would continue to be the victor. She had to.

 

\--

 

After finishing the last of the paperwork that had built up during her time away, Hiero realised just how hungry she was. Pushing away from her desk, Hiero walked through the bullpen to the break room. Everyone watched her as she left, and as soon as she hit the last cubicle the gossip started. _Thought Death was the guy that killed everybody. Bet it was her. Going more psycho than before._ She shook off their words and headed to the vending machines.  

 

But once she was there, nothing struck her fancy. Maybe she was hungry for something else, something that a Baby Ruth bar couldn't give her. Hiero thought about what she did want…maybe sex? It had been a good five weeks since she had fucked someone. Since then the single time she had stuck her hand down her panties she had been overcome with images of Ives. She’d been unable to continue for fear of letting him haunt her. Maybe she wanted to kill someone - drag a knife over someone's throat, let all their blood drain from their body. Maybe she wanted Ives to take her scalpel and tease her until she begged...

 

"Ravenous, are we?"

 

Hiero twisted round and found Ives watching her, paper bag in his hand. He smirked, trying to appear the innocent figure of Death. She saw straight through him. But if he wanted to play this game then so be it. "No. Just a little tired. First day back and all that."

 

Ives scraped the plastic seat along the floor as he sat down at the small table. He pulled a sandwich out of the bag - turkey, stuffing, cranberry - Hiero could smell it. She watched as he brought the sandwich to his mouth and took a bite. She licked her lips involuntary, more focussed on Ives’s fingers than on the sandwich itself. The same fingers that were currently sticky with cranberry sauce. He grinned at her obvious staring. "I'm sorry. Would you like to share?"

 

He placed the half eaten sandwich down and pulled one, two fingers into his mouth and licked them clean. She could almost imagine his blood, his warm thick blood being lapped up by his tongue. She could still taste him in the back of her mouth, could still feel his lips against hers. The hunger in her stomach deepened and Hiero realised what she craved. She wanted _him._

 

But despite her cravings and despite his attraction to her, Hiero couldn't forget what had happened on the snow. She couldn't let her guard down only to end up in a shallow grave somewhere. "No, thank you," Hiero said, stepping away from the counter. "I should go back to my desk."

 

"Come now Hierophant, can't we get along? I would like us to be friends you know. Good friends. I think we have a lot in common with each other, more so than we have with anyone else."

_Maybe you were just looking for the right playmate?_

"I don't think so," Hiero swallowed, deciding to leave.

 

But Ives encircled her wrist with his hand, preventing her from leaving. His grip was tender, the fingers he had so carefully laved with his tongue now stroking her skin. "You know I read your file. Your past is _fascinating._ Oh I do wish you would let us be friends. I'm quite charming once you get to know me. The real me."

 

Hiero pulled out of his grasp and turned on her heel, her heart thumping. As she reached the bullpen she realised her hunger had grown. It had replaced the loneliness that so often accompanied her. No good would come of becoming infatuated with Ives. It would only lead to her downfall.

 

Reaching for her keyboard to distract herself with work, Hiero felt something cold against her wrist. Looking down she saw her scalpel lying innocently on her desk. She didn't make a big deal of it - after all weapons were forbidden in the Factory. But the last time she had seen this scalpel it had been shoved inside Ives’s neck.

 

She looked up just as he entered the bullpen. He smiled at her - a genuine smile. He was playing with her, but Hiero honestly had no idea what game he was playing.

 

\--

 

All afternoon she worked up a plan to find out just what Ives was doing. Ives, Emperor and the Devil had a late meeting that would take them over till seven pm. That gave Hiero enough time to change into a shorter pair of heels, a pair of black jeans and a very expensive gold blouse. With her coat on the top she could fit in anywhere - a club, the streets, even a dark alley. Perfect for tailing her target through the capital.

 

Ives came out about ten minutes after seven. His coat was wrapped around his body, a small duffel bag in his right hand. Hiero wondered what was inside. Weapons, perhaps? A bloody head? She followed him as discreetly as possible; thankful there were enough people on the streets to give her cover.

 

She followed him until he came to a restaurant by the river. It looked like her target would be indulging in a little dinner. Hiero watched from the shadows as he talked to the man on the door and was shown inside. She tried to get a closer look to see who he was having dinner with, to see if there was a weakness there. Unfortunately her eagerness got her spotted by the front man.

 

"Can I help you with something?" She tried to think of a reason why she was gaping in the windows of a restaurant but her mouth wasn’t working quickly enough. But then something strange happened. "Are you Sarah Johnson, by any chance?"

 

Sarah Johnson had been her name back when she had been...normal. She used her Christian name in the real world, other names on operations. She mostly responded to Hiero. To have her full, legal name said back to her made her shiver. _Ives._

"Yes. Yes I am."

 

The man smiled, beckoning her forward. "If you'd like to follow me?"

 

Hiero threaded her way through the restaurant, following the man in front of her. This was an upscale place, a bit too expensive for her tastes. While Hiero didn't object to the finer things in life, she was used to steak houses. Places like these rarely did steaks right. She was led onto the empty patio, empty apart from one candlelit table at the back. Ives stood up when he saw her, a smile breaking onto his face.

 

"Thank you Gerard. Good evening, darling."

 

Ives walked over to her, smiling with every step. He reached behind and slid her coat off her shoulders, draping it across a chair. Hiero's body went through the motions: she walked over to the table, let Ives push her chair in. The table was beautifully set - two well lit candles, a fine cloth, a beautiful view over the river. Ives had even dressed up, wearing a blue shirt and a gold tie. He looked very handsome, this sort of wear suited him.

 

"Is this...a date?" Hiero asked.

 

Ives chuckled. "Well it can be. I just thought it would be nice to discuss these things over dinner, rather than in the dark alleyway you were no doubt going to drag me into." He reached for her hand, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "You look beautiful tonight, Hiero."

 

She drew her nails back so sharply that three long scratches appeared on his chin. He dabbed at his chin with a napkin, upset at her reaction. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Hierophant. I didn't mean to."

 

"Is this the prelude to you killing me? You gonna dump me in the river?" Hiero asked bluntly. She needed to know his game, needed to know when he would strike. She needed to be prepared.

 

Ives sighed. "I don't intend to dump you into the river. Nor do I intend to kill you. I hadn't intended to hurt you back at the cabin but you left me no choice. If it eases your mind, we could agree to a cease fire. At least until the end of dinner. I want to talk to you, honestly. Please let me, Hierophant."

 

"How can I trust you?"

 

He leaned in closer, his chin almost brushing the flames of the candles. "I could have killed you that first night when you found me. I could have killed you when you lay beside me sleeping. But I didn't. As I have previously mentioned, I only attempted to hurt you that last time because you were so insistent on doing the same." He moved back into the shadows. "I know you're hungry, and I know we have a lot to discuss. So let's do it over wine and candle light, yes?"

 

The waiter coming for their drink order offered them a reprieve. Ives mentioned a red wine and Hiero nodded, her mind trying to keep up with what was going on. Ives wanted to sit and eat with her. He didn't want to kill her. He didn't seem to want to fuck her, at least not before the menus came. Hiero wasn't used to this sort of treatment.

 

"So,” Hiero began as the waiter left. “Where do we start? You got a topic in mind, Ives?"

 

"Francis, my name is Francis. And yours is Sarah, yes?"

 

Hiero nodded, pausing while the waiter brought their wine. She waited until Ives took a sip before she did. "I prefer Hierophant. Or Hiero. Sarah never really suited me, you know?"

 

"Hiero suits you a lot better I must admit." Ives placed his glass down on the table. "So, I assume you have questions.  About what I am and why I'm here."

 

She nodded, placing her own glass next to his. "Are you a Demon?"

 

His laughter rang on the empty patio. He shook his head, taking a moment to dry his eyes with his napkin. "No, I'm not a Demon. Although I understand why I would appear to be. Arise from the dead; eat the flesh of a man. I'm not a Vampire, either. Or a Werewolf. I'm a Wendigo."

 

 _Oh._ Well that certainly made a lot of sense. The cannibalism, the strength. Certainly made more sense than her Demon theory at any rate. She looked over at the man that seemed to be her date for the evening. He seemed confused, as if wondering why she wasn't begging for a definition, or questioning every syllable. For once Hiero felt like she had the upper hand in their game and she giggled.

 

"You know what I am."

 

The giggling continued. " _Of course!_ Darlin' I killed my first person when I was fifteen years old. High school history class I was obsessed with the Donner party and Alfred Packer and the Fort Spencer disaster. Course I know what a fucking Wendigo is! I just can't believe that they’re actually real and not just fictional." She bit her lip as she realised who the man in front of her was. "Fort Spencer. You're Colonel Ives."

 

He made a flourish with his hands. "At your service, my lady."

 

Hiero giggled. "This is so cool. You know I wrote an essay about how cannibalism was good economics and used Fort Spencer as an example. You’re going to have to tell me the truth of that story sometime."

 

"Oh I will. I’m just so glad we won't have to have that awkward conversation about cannibalism and morals. I do get so bored with people trying to tell me how wrong it is,” Ives explained, sighing in relief. Hiero found it quite adorable. "It's not an easy road, you know. Especially not these days. Back then it was quite easy to knock off an entire wagon train. Now there are dental records and social media. I've actually been living rough the last three years. Eating sparsely, living in the dust."

 

"So what changed?" Hiero asked, leaning in closer. Now that they were being honest, Hiero was starting to her enjoy herself. It was so freeing to talk like this with someone.

 

Ives moved closer to her as well. "I managed to find this lone cabin where this team builder was operating. A rather slimy fellow. I killed him and took his place. The first group I took was the group you found me with. Oh god...after three years of eating road kill or dead hikers this was a _buffet._ I must admit I was full of gluttony. Couldn't help myself. I mean you _saw_ the house. All good thoughts about being tidy and making the meat last just went out the window."

 

The waiter chose to return just then with menus. Ives flicked through his briefly but he knew what he wanted. As did Hiero. She smiled at him over the table as Ives passed the menus back to the waiter. "We will have two of your largest rump steaks with all the trimmings. And I do mean _all._ And we will have them so rare that they could still go back to the farm."

 

He nodded and left with their orders. A thick steak was just the ticket. This talk of cannibalism was making her stomach rumble. _Francis_ topped up their wine. "So, where was I? Oh yes, the cabin. Quite greedy I was. Blood and entrails everywhere. I'd already sent a message to the company I was pretending to work for that the men didn't make it down there. I was hoping I'd have at least a week to eat what I could."

 

The question spilled out of her mouth, not for any sense of resentment or injustice, but just to _know._ "If you had so much meat, why did you come after us?"

 

"Ah, another sin I'm afraid. Pride. Ego. I heard you coming into the area and immediately clocked you for what you were. Assassins. Even the most ardent of police officers don't carry the amount of weapons you all did. On a high from all that blood I got it into my head that I could take all five of you on. So I used a ruse that's worked in the past. It was actually the ruse I used at Fort Spencer."

 

"So why didn't you kill us all that night?" Hiero shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just trying to work out why you led us to that house."

 

Francis reached for her hand again. She let him take it; let him run his calloused fingertips up and down her palm. "No, you want to ask why I kept you alive. It's been burning in you, ever since the snow. You want to know why you and not say...Temperance?"

 

Hiero's hand immediately clamped around his like a vice. But he did not wince. He had cut straight to the bone. Why her? Was it because she had been good to him, kind? That didn't seem to matter to Ives. He hadn't known her past before the snow. She met his eyes as his free hand reached up to caress her neck. Then she knew.

 

"From that moment Hierophant, I've been...obsessed with you. Every little part of you makes me ache. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I've been alive for nearly two hundred years and no one has made me feel like this." He removed his hand and Hiero missed it instantly. "Forgive me. That's more a second date speech. But from the moment you licked my neck I have been unable to stop thinking about you."

 

Men didn't fall for her. Men fell for women like Temperance, with long legs and college degrees. They didn’t fall for women like her, so called southern trash who were good for blow jobs and dirty fucks between girlfriends. Hiero had never been first choice. Even when she was picture perfect, with everything from her name to her hobbies a lie, they still didn't want her. But here was a man who did, who was handsome, intelligent and liked killing as much as she did. He couldn't want her. This was all a trick. Some way to let her guard down. It wasn't real.

 

"I have to go."

 

She grabbed her coat and ran from the patio as fast as she could. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. This was some sort of day dream or some sort of trick. She made it through the rest of the restaurant and was near the entrance when she smacked into someone. Taking a moment to right herself and apologise she realised it was Joshua. With a pretty brunette on his arm.

 

"Sarah!" Joshua grinned. She could only imagine how this looked - alone, upset. Quite the picture she made. "It's so good to see you. Are you...eating alone?"

 

Hiero shook her head. "No, no. My date's just..."

 

"Where?" Joshua continued to grin. He looked so smug. She had her scalpel now; it wouldn’t take her five minutes to slice that grin off.

 

Luckily for Joshua help came just in time. "Darling, the waiter's just informed me the steaks will be done in five minutes."

 

Francis joined them in the foyer, his own smug smile plastered on his face as he tucked an arm around her waist. She leaned in close, pressing a hand against his chest. Joshua had never liked such intimate contact, even in bed. But Ives seemed more than happy with it. "Joshua, this is my boyfriend Francis. Francis this is an old...acquaintance of mine."

 

"Well how lovely," Francis muttered, making no effort to shake Joshua’s hand. They were too busy pressing her closer to his body.

 

Before they could hold any more awkward conversation, the maître d’ returned with a forced smile directed at Joshua and his date. "I'm sorry sir but there are no tables available currently."

 

Joshua looked embarrassed as he turned to the gentleman to try and persuade him otherwise. "Even inside? _Come on._ I'm not expecting the fucking patio here," he hissed.

 

Francis shifted his body, wrapping himself even tighter around her. "I'm afraid you won't find anything there. I booked the entire patio out. It's our one month anniversary, you see. Wanted to make tonight special."

 

Joshua looked disgusted. Hiero couldn't help but grin. "It was lovely to see you Joshua, but we best be going back to dinner. Bye now."

 

She didn't even look back as they went back onto the patio. As soon as the doors were closed, Francis stepped away from her and moved to the table, blowing one of the candles out. "Well that covers the ex boyfriend conversation I wanted to have. And the type of man I go for conversation that would have come up as well. I'm sorry about my advances, Hiero. I truly am. I didn’t anticipate…him."

 

He moved to blow out the second candle when Hiero grabbed his face and forced his mouth down to meet hers. He was surprised by the kiss but soon his passion took over. Hiero felt his arms wrap around her waist, his tongue bury inside her mouth. She bit down on his lip and blood exploded on her tongue. They continued to kiss until neither of them could breathe. Breaking from the kiss, Hiero rested a hand against his cheek.

 

"You know for a cannibal you're one heck of a gentleman."

 

He grinned. "Keep kissing me like that and I won't be."

 

Smiling to herself, Hiero slowly ran her hands up his shoulder blades and hooked them around his neck. She pushed him against the barrier of the patio, enjoying the surprised sound he tried to muffle. A part of her was still on edge, still worried that this was all a game. But a larger part was begging her to enjoy tonight and the man in front of her, a man she had been looking for her entire life.

 

The game could be paused for dinner. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Operation: Endgame, Ravenous or any of their characters, or their settings - all belongs to their respective institutions.
> 
> So this is the final part of the story! Thank you to everyone who has read and commented, you've all been so lovely and I'm really glad you've enjoyed it. I hope you like the final part just as much!

Joshua called just as she was applying her make up that morning. Some rubbish about wanting to talk after last night. She didn’t answer him; just let the message go on. He was only interested because she was taken, would no doubt dump her soon after they got back together. Hiero wasn't interested in playing his games anymore - she was involved in another, different game. One she was enjoying a heck of a lot more.

 

Her smile lasted her through getting coffee and getting onto the elevator at work. She pressed the down button and waited patiently for the doors to close. A foot stepped between them, the doors parted and suddenly there was _Ives._ Blood red shirt (the exact colour of her panties), black waistcoat, a long black coat covering his body.  She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.

 

Someone tried to get on the elevator but Ives pushed him out, knocking the man and his coffee to the floor. "Get the next one."

 

Hiero giggled as the doors closed, leaving just her and Francis inside. He took a step forward and reached for her, dragging her hips to match his. Her hands braced themselves against his chest, trying not to lose her balance. He smirked as he saw her scalpel hidden in the sleeve of her cardigan.

 

"Still don't trust me I see."

 

She grinned. "And do you trust me?" She ran a finger along where she had stabbed him with her scalpel. She followed it through with her tongue. "Trust is hard to come by when you've tried to kill the other person."

 

Ives spun her around and pressed her back against his front. His hands ducked down to tug up her skirt, his fingers running along the edge of her garters. He found the little blades hidden there. Ives laughed in her ear, pressing a kiss to just below her lobe. "I treated you to a _lovely_ steak dinner and walked you home like a _gentleman._ Who do I need to kill for you to realise I'm not here to harm you?"

 

"Maybe I'm not worried about _you_ killing me, honey." She scraped a finger under his chin, enjoying the sound it made. "Maybe I'm getting a little blood thirsty. It's been a while. I get so..." She wriggled against his body, enjoying the way he groaned at her blatant seduction. "... _desperate_ when I haven't given in to my urges for a while."

 

Ives reached for the call box, panting "And God created Alpha and Omega."

 

As soon as the elevator began to move, Ives threw Hiero against the opposite wall. He pinned her against it, linking their hands and sliding them high over her head. He pressed kiss after kiss to her neck. "I can help you there, Hiero. Help you give in. We could hunt together. Or we could just _fuck."_

One of his hands began the torturous slide down her body, brushing against her breasts and the flat of her stomach. His fingers plucked at her buttons, revealing the blood red underwear underneath. But before she could feel his warm hand touch her skin, the elevator door bumped open. Hiero slid out from under his grasp, making him watch her do up her buttons.

 

“Last night you said you haven’t been able to stop thinking about me since that night.” She made his smile grow wider. “Can you guess what I’ve been thinking about?”

 

Instead of returning to his side, Hiero swung her hips in the direction of the office. His footsteps dogged hers, matching her pace step for step. He would chase her; chase her like a rabbit lost in the forest. As they continued their twist and turn into the office she caught glimpses of his scent, felt his hand brush hers just so. Every little tease and taunt built in Hiero like a climax waiting to topple her.

 

The game had changed.

 

“Staff meeting, now!” Emperor announced as they passed. “Everything alright with you two?”

 

Ives stopped beside her, his hand straying to the small of her back. His fingers pressed against her spine, only adding to her twisting stomach. “Everything’s perfect.”

 

She could hear his dirty chuckle in her ear, could feel his hot breath on her neck. But then it was gone and he was opposite Emperor in Empress’ old seat. She sat opposite Judgement, right at the other end of the table. They were too far apart and Ives kept leaning back on his chair, trying to get glimpses of her. He kept grinning at her, his tongue sliding over his teeth. Hiero felt her stomach tighten and she crossed her legs, trying to provide a little release to the tension building inside of her.

 

“Okay, let’s begin today’s briefing. Don’t worry, it’ll be quick…”

 

Hiero wasn’t paying attention to the Devil; she was completely focussed on what Ives was doing. She watched his hands; watched his fingers run across his lips, dip down his chin. His eyes were glinting: this was all a performance for her benefit. He took a knuckle between his lips, his teeth scraping his skin. A finger slid into his mouth, then two. Long and slow.

 

“Is everyone clear with that?”

 

Hiero felt herself nod, not really sure what she was agreeing to. Her eyes kept straying to Ives, to his hands and mouth. Her body followed the others, standing when they stood. But whilst the rest of her colleagues streamed out the door, Hiero faked trouble with her paperwork until she felt Ives’s hand graze her hip.

 

“Are you working on anything right now, Hiero?”

 

“Actually, I am. I’ve gotta get these files from the records room. Background info, you know?” Hiero pressing herself against the table, his eyes following the lines of her body. “It’ll be lonely in that dark, depressing records room. Guess I’ll just have to keep myself company. ”

 

She skipped out of the conference room, only slowing down when she was in the presence of her colleagues. Hiero didn’t look back, just continued walking, knowing that Ives would be on her heels any second. Inside the records room, with all the high boxes and dark corners, she would sure give him a merry dance.

 

Hiero ducked behind one of the aisles of boxes just as Ives joined her inside. She heard him sniff the air, trying to determine where she was. Silently crouching down, Hiero took one of her pens from her paperwork and threw it across the room. Ives immediately ran in that direction, giving Hiero the chance to duck down another aisle. He was good; she had to give him that. She supposed two hundred years had to grant him _some_ skills.

 

“Hiero… _Hiero…_ where are you, my dear?” his voice taunted in the darkness. “Is this a game of cat and mouse? Like before, on the ice?”

 

She felt her skin quiver as she thought about that game. It had cost her dearly but she had won, just as she would win this one. This was her territory; she knew every inch of this room: every dark corner, every loose box. Hiero pushed one off the other side of its shelf, giggling as Ives came running. She slid underneath a table, watching with glee as his shoes travelled past her.

 

“Is this a different game, Hiero? Something else, something…hotter?” He chuckled. “Come out, come out wherever you are!”

 

She nibbled on her bottom lip, enjoying the ache she felt as she played with him. Empress had been right; she had needed to find her equal to find her match. Hiero strained to hear Ives, wondering just where he had got to. She was about to slide out to taunt him again when two hands griped her ankles and _tugged._ She squealed as the linoleum bit the back of her thighs. Suddenly they were parted and Ives was slipping between them as he covered her body with his own. His tongue dragged over her pulse.

 

“There you are. My pretty little rabbit.” Ives knelt in front of her, his hands parting her legs even further. “What do I get as my reward?”

 

Hiero pushed herself up to wrap her arms around his neck. “What do you want, darlin’?” Her mouth moved to his throat, her own tongue lapping at the sweat lingering on his skin. “ _What do you want_?”

 

“You. Just you.”

 

“Well we’ll just have to see about that.” Hiero cupped his cheeks, drawing his mouth to hers. Their kiss was tender, their lips barely brushing. She closed her eyes and leant into his body, inhaling the scent of him. Blood and sex…it was intoxicating. But she managed to pull out of his embrace and get to her feet.

 

Ives smiled as he stood himself. “Best out of three?”

 

“I’ll count to twenty, you go hide.”

 

Hiero made a great show of covering her eyes. Her ears strained for any sounds of Ives running but there was none. Guy was like a ghost. “One, two, three…you hiding yet?” No answer. “Screw this, ready or not, here I come.”

 

He was fast, silent. He was probably on the other side of the room by now. He’d twist this way and that, his ears trained for any sounds she would make. He’d expect her round the corner. But Hiero had a different idea. She’d spent a great deal of her teenage years sneaking into places she wasn’t supposed to, climbing up trees and smoking. So, after kicking off her heels, she started climbing one of the shelves.

 

High above, Hiero moved on the tips of her toes. She’d always enjoyed being up high. It was closer to God after all. From this vantage she could see Ives waiting a couple of aisles over. She climbed down and climbed up those shelves like a cat stalking its prey. When she had him in her sights she descended as low as she could before she dropped.

 

Hiero fell on his back, tackling him to the ground. She flipped him over, pinning his shoulders to the floor. “Found you.”

 

Leaning down she pressed a wet kiss to his collarbone. He was so pretty like this, so willingly at her mercy. Hiero felt his hands move up over her thighs, pulling her skirt up to her waist. Those rough hands of his caressed her ass, pulling aside the fabric of her panties to touch bare skin. His touch made her tremble; made the ache in her stomach sharpen like a blade. “God, _Francis._ ”

 

His hands left her ass and moved to the front of her blouse, the same path he had followed in the elevator. His fingers unclasped each button, taking its time to reveal the skin underneath. This time he got to touch her. A single finger travelled between her breasts, over the thin strap of fabric holding the bra together and all the way down to the waistband of her skirt. Hiero chewed on her lip, trying to stop herself from moaning.

 

“ _Hiero…”_

 

“Hiero? You in here?”

 

Judgement really had the worst fucking timing. Pulling herself off of Ives, Hiero tried to right herself. God how many times had she had to do this, get herself straightened out like she was some dirty little secret. Usually it was the guy who was being called for, not her. Usually it was the guy who rushed off. But this time it was her and Ives leant over to place a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

 

“To be continued.”

 

Hiero walked towards Judgement’s voice, feeling Ives’s eyes on her all the way. That man was driving her crazy. She honestly didn’t know whether that was good or bad.

 

\--

 

It had become hard to keep her attention focussed on work, especially when the object of her affection was sitting so damn close to her. Ives was not doing well either, creating constant reasons to drop by her desk and press himself against her. She could still feel the warmth of his breath against her ear, the feel of his hands caressing her skin. She didn’t think she’d ever been so attracted to someone. It took all of Hiero’s willpower to focus on her upcoming assignment and not straddling Ives in the middle of the bullpen.

 

When she finally punched out Hiero ran to the elevator, desperate to get some fresh air. Ives had been caught by Emperor but eventually he joined her. Now they were alone, outside the office with no distractions, it seemed harder to continue their game. Someone had to make the first move. Might as well be her.

 

“Walk me home?”

 

He had such a lovely smile. “With pleasure.”

 

As they walked down the street, Ives’s hand tangled with her own. His thumb stroked hers, reassuring her, seducing her. They walked like that all the way home, looking like any other couple. When they were a couple of blocks from her apartment, Ives’s hand tugged her across the street to look out over the river.

 

“You know I’ve lived so many years that most of them blur into one. I can remember such events with clarity, with such dedicated focus it’s like recalling a movie reel in my mind. Other things, entire _decades,_ are a blurry mess. It’s not just immortal life that does that, of course.  People go to jobs they don’t enjoy, are in relationships that don’t satisfy them. Everything becomes a blur to them.” His attention shifted from the river to her. “Are you happy with your life, Hiero?”

 

 “I try not to think about it.”

 

“I’d say that’s an answer in itself. I live for change, Hiero. New name, new background. New city, new _country._ I’m once again in the position to do all that and I want you by my side.”

 

Hiero’s brow furrowed. “You’re not staying with the Factory?”

 

It was his turn to snort, a derisive laugh that reverberated in her ears. “I am a hunter not an assassin. My purpose in joining the Factory was to hunt you, take you, _keep you_.” He brought his head next to hers, his mouth curved against her ear. “ _Come away with me._ ”

 

As much as it pained her, Hiero stepped back. “That’s where we’re different, Francis. I _am_ an assassin. I’m Hierophant, and I like being her. I can’t go back to being Sarah all the time.”

 

His hands reached for her waist, nestling her body against his. “You don’t have to be Sarah; you don’t have to work for the Company. You can be whatever you choose, whoever you choose. For the first time in decades, Hiero, I feel whole. What am I supposed to do without you?”

 

“I’m sorry, Francis. I really am.”

 

His hands fell from her body. She had never broken anyone’s heart before, but she knew how it felt. “I was once like you, Hiero. Lost in my own mind, stuck in a world I loathed, dying from the choices I had made. I was offered a chance to change all that, to become something greater. The real me. I won’t force you to come with me. But all your life you’ve been looking for a home. _I can give you one._ ”

 

He didn’t look back as he walked away and she didn’t follow. Soon she lost sight of him in the crowds. Their conversation kept Hiero company on the cold walk from the river to her apartment. She’d wanted a place to fit in for so long, a place where she could be happy and be herself. Maybe it was possible, now that she had found someone who welcomed the real her, that she could be Hierophant for good.

 

“Sarah?”

 

For a split second she thought it might be Ives. But when she spun round she saw nothing but Joshua holding a bouquet of yellow roses. He walked forward, the flowers held out as an offering. “Sarah, sweetheart, can we talk?”

 

Hiero left the door to her apartment building open and he followed her up. Inside, while Joshua sat in the adjacent living room, Hiero put the roses in water. They were such pretty flowers, so bright and cheery and sweet. She wanted to crush them under her heel, wanted to see them thrown on the pavement outside. She wanted red roses. Ives would have given her red roses.  

 

“Sarah, what I have to say is very important.”

 

“Sure.”

 

She caught words like ‘mistake’ and ‘regret’, like their break up had been anything other than him tossing out the trash. He kept talking about ‘fresh starts’ and a ‘life together’. He was so transparent. “Did she dump you?”

 

He paused. “She’s no longer part of my life.” _Yes_. “I only want to be with you, Sarah.”

 

Sarah. God how she _hated_ Sarah. Sarah was a sweet kid from Louisiana who had come up for college and just _stayed._ Sarah was an artist working a temp job because she didn’t have the time to produce anything gallery worthy. Sarah had no friends. Sarah’s men were cruel and petty, just after playthings and Sarah played that role because it was all Sarah knew. Sarah didn’t know the taste of blood, the feel of the scalpel. She was innocent to all that.

 

Sarah was an illusion. Hierophant was real.  

 

“I’ve been lying to you, Joshua,” Hiero admitted as she came around the kitchen counter. “It’s been eating me up inside but I need to get it out.”

 

Joshua shifted himself forward on the chair. “You can tell me anything, Sarah. Is it about the guy from the restaurant?”

 

She giggled, her hands reaching up to tangle in her hair. “No, no it’s not. It’s about me. You see, I used to go by Sarah before I murdered both my parents in a house fire and then spent my four years at college studying art and the best way to kill people and get away with it.”

 

He laughed until he saw she wasn’t joking. She loved watching the colour drain out of someone’s face, loved watching the terror in their eyes. “I should go.”

 

Hiero slammed him back into the armchair before he could move. She hoisted up her skirt and straddled him, pinning him against the upholstery. “You’re not going anywhere, _sweetheart._ We’re going to have a little chat about our relationship. You treated me like dirt, used me like a whore and then dumped me when you were _done_ with me.” Hiero slipped her scalpel out from her sleeve and pressed the blade against Joshua’s face. “Bet you wish you hadn’t done that now.”

 

“Please, _please_ Sarah let me go.”

 

She shook her head, giggling as he started to cry. “I so love it when you beg.”

 

The sharp edge of the blade moved over his mouth, splitting his lip. In her pleasure she didn’t see him grab the remote but felt it when he smacked her in the side of the face, knocking her off her perch. Joshua reached for the scalpel but Hiero kicked it out of his grasp. She watched him head for the kitchen, knocking over the vase as he grabbed one of her kitchen knives.

 

“You crazy bitch I knew I shouldn’t have come back to you! You’re going to go to jail for this!” he said, spitting blood on her carpet.

 

“Give me that knife, Joshua,” Hiero hissed, stepping over the broken glass. “Come on, give me that knife.”

 

She reached over to take it, struggling with his hands. His shoulder went into the wrong place and then so did the knife, straight into her stomach. She pushed away from him, pulling out the knife automatically. Her blouse was blooming ruby red. It matched her panties.

 

“See, this is what happens when amateurs play with knives.”  

 

Hiero applied pressure to her wound. She wasn’t in any immediate danger but she’d need help soon. But first she had a few issues to deal with, namely her ex-boyfriend. He was still looking at her in shock and disgust when she slashed that kitchen knife over his throat. His body fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, his hands trying to hold his throat together. He wouldn’t take long to die but by the time he expired she’d already be gone.

 

“You were a peach, Joshua. I’ve wanted to kill you for so long now, I’m really glad I got the chance to do it before I skipped town.” Hiero pressed a kiss to his cheek and managed to duck out of his grasp as she headed to her bathroom.

 

The bandage would last until she got to her destination. Her sketchbook and her scalpel was all she took with her. The matchbook would take care of the rest. She heard Joshua cry out for her just as she shut the door behind her. But it was no use.

 

Sarah was dead.

 

\--

 

The drive was long, her mind constantly straying to the wound in her side. The blood had soaked through the bandage, but still she drove onwards. There was no turning back now. As she got close to her destination she abandoned the car by the road. She would continue the rest of the journey on foot.

 

Her mind grew fuzzy, the snow covered ground blurring into the sky. The only colour was the inky black trees of the forest. The pain was constant, the blood against her hand the only warmth. She should have remembered to pack a coat. Hiero felt snow against the back of her knees, felt it seep in to her shirt.

 

She was back in the snow. Maybe she had never it; maybe this had all been the last dreams of a dying mind. She’d got what she had always wanted: someone to love her just as she was. She’d even got rid of Joshua. The snow had cleansed her, given her one last chance. Now she had to move on.

 

_Hiero. Hiero._

“I’m ready.”

 

She felt herself be lifted up, dragged away from the snow. Warm hands, solid hands, _rough_ hands. Ives’s hands. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”

 

“It will be if I don’t get you warm.”

 

Quickly Hiero found herself bathed in light. She was placed near the fireplace, the flames licking at her back. Her eyes flickered open, watching Ives prepare hot water and cloths and what looked like stew. She opened her eyes wide when his arm slipped around her back. There was a bowl of stew resting in her lap, a spoon being forced into her hand.

 

“My love you need to eat.” He was pleading with her. “It’ll make you strong, strong like me. But there’s no going back. Your hunger will change and things will be different but you will live. _Please._ ”

 

There was no question of what she would do. Hiero swung the spoon into the stew and swallowed the mouthful in one. Ives encouraged her with every bite and with every mouthful it grew easier to swallow. Soon enough the bowl was empty and Hiero collapsed against Ives, her body boneless. She could feel a tingle in her lips, could feel the same sensation in her stomach. She’d never experienced anything like it.

 

“You’re home now.”

 

Hiero believed she was.

 

\--

 

When she awoke she found herself still by the fire, a heavy fur throw covering her body. Hiero tugged it off to examine her stomach. There was barely any wound to speak of, a puckered little mark in the flesh. Her skin felt different, like it was brand new and she was still stretching it in.

 

“It’s strange, the first time. But you’ll get used to it, I’m sure. The feeling becomes addictive, although you can stem your hunger with other means. Running, cooking…” Ives’s mouth was suddenly hot on the back of her neck. “Sex. I was just about to wake you. How do you feel?”

 

“Incredible. Just…incredible.

 

His arms wrapped around her, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. His fingers ran along her arms, examining them, memorising them. He looked at her stomach too, the pads of his fingers tracing where her wound had been. “Do I need to hurt whoever hurt you?”

 

She shook her head. “He’s dead. Slit his throat, burnt the body. And my apartment.” She pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “You mentioned something about a home?”

 

He hesitated, his arms tightening around her. “Are you sure?”

 

The weight she had felt on her shoulders yesterday was gone. All that was left was the possibilities of the future, of the life she had always wanted. “Never been surer of anything else in my entire life.”

 

“Good.” Another kiss to her neck, this one with a hint of teeth. “Then we still have the deciding round of catch the rabbit to play. If you’re up to it, of course.”

 

She shouldn’t, but she felt like she could topple empires. Hiero stood on strong legs, turning to her new playmate. “My turn to hide. Start counting.”

 

 

Ives covered his eyes and Hiero looked for a place to go. She could hide in the depths of the cabin, maybe in a cupboard or under a bed. But she wanted to run. She wanted to feel the snow crunch under her feet and feel the wind whip against her skin. She wanted to run until she could barely stand. Halfway through his counting, Hiero headed for the front door.

 

It banged behind her, the noise echoing in the empty clearing. Hiero took a moment to assess her options. Knowing she only had a few seconds before Ives would be behind her, she took off for the woods. She ducked past tree after tree, jumping over a stump or two. She caught sight of red through the thicket, Ives catching up fast. She slid down the embankment to where a large log lay. Suddenly Ives jumped in front of her, on the other side of the log. His eyes never strayed from hers, the hunger in them unmistakeable.  

 

“Found you.”

 

“But you haven’t caught me yet.”

 

Ives ran to the left. She was a fraction quicker and managed to clear the trunk and land on the snow on the other side. Hiero continued to run until hands gripped her legs and forced her to the ground. Ives was on top of her within seconds, his body engulfing hers.

 

“I’ve caught you now.”

 

Hiero’s hands roamed his face, smiling up at him. “That you have.”

 

Those rough hands she loved so much reached down and grabbed her ass, lifting her up out of the snow and into his arms. Hiero wrapped herself tightly around him as he carried her back to the cabin. Once inside he deposited her back on the fur rug and parted her thighs. He knelt between them, his hands moving up and down.

 

“You are such a perfect little creature,” Ives whispered. “Such creamy skin. Perfect for little marks.”

 

Ives reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a silver flick knife.  Her breathing stopped, her body tightening as he trailed the dull edge of the blade up and down her thigh. He took the sharp edge to her skirt before tearing the fabric straight from her body. The knife moved over her stomach, the cool blade pinching deliciously against her skin. Hiero bit her lip as she watched it move to what remained of her blouse. Ives popped off button after button, leaving the poor blouse tattered. With her help they tossed it with the remains of her skirt.

 

All that remained was her lingerie and smeared blood. “So beautiful,” Ives moaned, his tongue lapping at the blood. “So perfect.”

 

Hiero felt her legs go higher, resting on Ives’s shoulders as he moved to feast between her legs. The red panties she wore were delicate, lacy, with a little black bow at the top of her pussy. Ives cut that off first, before taking the knife to the rest of the panties. He raised them to his nose when they were free of her, inhaling her scent. “Someone’s been getting a little hot and bothered of late.”

 

“Yeah, and that’s all your fault.”

 

His chuckle was filthy, only adding to the wetness between her legs. “Well then let me do something about it.”

 

His mouth was hot against her skin, pressing a stream of kisses against the inside of her thigh. What started off as light, open mouthed caresses turned to ones filled with tongue and teeth as he took her skin in his mouth. Hiero could feel the blood rushing to the surface, no doubt there would be a mark there tomorrow to join the bruises on her hips from his fingers. All thoughts of marks were forgotten when Ives took that first swipe of her pussy with his tongue.  Hiero nearly came just from hearing the moans he made at tasting her for the first time.

 

His tongue explored everywhere, leaving no spot untouched. He took his time probing her entrance with his tongue, darting in and out with thick thrusts. She writhed against the fur rug, desperate for more. Ives gave in, moving his attention to her clit. He started off with gentle pressure to her least sensitive side before the movements grew firmer, bolder, more pleasurable. His fingers – the ones he had sucked into his mouth yesterday – thrust hard inside her with no mercy. Ives’s other hand squeezed her ass in time with those thrusts.

 

Her orgasm had been building for hours and when Ives finally took long, powerful swipes of her clit with his tongue she came hard. Her body jerked in his arms, curling upwards as he continued to fuck her with his fingers and his mouth. When the pleasure ended Hiero curled herself into a ball, desperate to hang on to the last shreds of her orgasm.

 

“Nothing has ever tasted as sweet.” Hiero looked up to find Ives sucking one of his fingers. He offered her his hand. “Taste yourself.”

 

She crawled over to where her lover sat and took his finger in her mouth. She had sucked her own fingers after touching herself before but she’d never really noticed a taste. Whether it was the change in her body or her taste on Ives’s skin she did not know but she wanted more. She wanted more of him.

 

“Come on lover boy; show me what you’re made of.”

 

Ives tore off his shirt and threw it aside with the rest of the tattered clothing. Hiero’s hands roamed his torso, free to touch where she hadn’t before. His muscle was firm, his skin soft. While his fingers were calloused his chest bore no signs of the life he must have experienced. She could spend hours mapping his body with her hands and tongue. Another time.

 

Her fingers followed the little trail of hair to the belt holding up his slacks. It was a heavy gold buckle with a long leather strap. The belt would welt skin, would leave marks that would last for days. Ives whipped it out of his trousers with a crack, throwing it away with the rest of his clothes. They pushed apart his zipper; his erection hard against Hiero’s teasing hand. After a few vicious squeezes she freed him from his boxers. He was as big as she expected, thicker though. Certainly longer and thicker than Joshua had been.

 

“Sit on my lap,” Ives said, crooking one finger to her. He gripped her hips and helped slide her down onto his cock. Ives let out a howl as she engulfed him. She’d never felt so full, so whole with someone before. She squeezed him and Ives cursed, the pleasure getting too much already. “You’re incredible.”

 

“Not so bad yourself. Should have done this the last time we were here.”

 

His throaty chuckle made her thighs dampen. Hiero experimented with a few thrusts, gripping Ives’s knees as she bobbed up and down on his cock. It felt so good to push him in and out, to ride him so desperately. His hands moved to her breasts, the knife coming out again to cut that sliver of fabric keeping her bra together. With that broken her breasts were free for him to grab and pinch at his pleasure and her own.

 

“Fuck, Hiero,” Ives groaned, his hips grinding against hers. He pinched her nipples, compacting the tiny buds and making them hard. His grip was rough but Hiero didn’t want him to stop. She never wanted him to stop. “Keep riding me, god _yes!_ ”

 

She brought her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her throat. She wanted marks there, bruises and bites all the way down to her breasts. Hiero was still on a knife edge from their earlier play and did not take long to be on the cusp of another orgasm. “So close, Francis, _so close._ ”

 

“Me too, my love, me too.”

 

Hiero squeezed him tight, urging him onto his own climax. His grip grew tighter as he came, the pressure making Hiero herself see black. Somehow they tumbled to the fur rug, Hiero’s body resting on top of his. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, could barely breathe. All she could focus on was the pleasure of before and the feel of Ives’s body underneath hers now.

 

She felt his hand stroke her hair, pushing it aside to kiss her temple. “You know, I think I love you.” His arms locked around her, his legs even joining in to completely embrace her. “The question is: do you love me?”

 

Hiero had never been in love before. It felt strange. It felt wonderful. “I think I do.”

 

She was finally home. 


End file.
